Railway-signal-operating mechanism.



No. 802,591. PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905. F. P. J. PATENALL.

RAILWAY SIGNAL OPERATING MEOHANNM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. 1905.

C F [NVEWTOR FRANK P. J. PATENALL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

RAlLWAY-SlGNAL-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24., 1965.

A li ati fil d February 24, 1905. Serial No. 247,136.

To (ZZZ whom, it pea/y concern.-

Be it known thatI, FRANK I. J. PATENALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signal Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanism for operating railway-signals, and particularly visual signals. By the term signal as used herein I mean to include any visual signal device which by its color or by its position relatively to its support gives indication of the service condition of the railroad-track or section of railroad-track which it covers.

I will describe a mechanism for operating signals embodying my invention and then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1, 2, and 3 are views, partly in perspective and partly in elevation, of two railway-signals on one post with signal-operating mechanism embodying my invention, the operating mechanism and signals being shown in different positions.

A indicates a signal-post, and B B two signals pivotally supported thereon and having the usual counterweights Z) and b, respectively.

Adjacent to the foot of the post two bell-crank levers (Z and (Z are pivotally supported, with one arm of each connected, respectively, to the counterweights Z and Z/ by rods 0 and e.

Cand G are signal-operating levers, pivoted atcand c to a suitable support. (Not shown.) It is to be understood that in practice these levers will be provided with locking means for locking them in any position to which they may be moved in the operation of the signals. Thus they may be provided with a latch for engaging notches in a quadrant in a wellknown manner. It is also to be understood that the parts of the operating mechanism will be provided with suitable supports or guides wherever necessary. These details of construction, however, form no part of my present invention, and some necessary supports and guides are omitted from the drawings, it being deemed necessary to show only the various positions the several parts of the operating mechanism assume in moving the signals.

The operating-levers are shown as anglelevers, and their short arms are respectively connected by rods f and f to one of the arms of two bell-crank levers g and g, the other arms of such levers being connected by rods wt and m.

Z and a" to a floating lever it. The crank-levers g and g are mounted to act in opposite directions. The floating lever it is connected by a rod Z: to another floating lever Z, and to the ends of this lever are connected two rods The rod or is also connected to one arm of an obtuse-angled crank-lever n, the other arm of which is connected by a rod 0 to the bell-crank lever (Z. The rod on is also connected to one arm of an acute-angled crank-lever n, and the otherarm of this lever is connected by a rod 0 to the bell-crank lever d.

The several parts are shown in what may be termed normaPposition in Fig. 1, where it will be seen both signals indicate danger and both operating-levers are in their extreme forward position and are assumed to be locked in such position.

In order to move signal B to indicate safety, the lever G is pulled back to the position shown in Fig. 2, and this movement causes the rod 2: to be pulled toward the lever, and since the rod '2' cannot move in the same direction when the lever G is locked in the position shown the joint between the rod Z and floating lever ZL becomes a fulcrum for the latter and its end connected to rod 2' is moved toward the levers. This exerts a pull on rod and floating lever Z, and since rod on cannot move toward the levers on account of its connection to the signal B, which cannot be moved higher, the joint between rod on and floating lever Z becomes a fulcrum for the latter and its end connected to the rod m is pulled toward the levers C and U, which causes the rod or to turn the obtuse-angled crank-lever 91 on its pivot and throw the arm connected to rod 0 toward the signal-post, and this movement will operate the bell-crank lever (Z to move signal B to indicate safety, as shown in Fig. 2.

To move signal B to indicate safety, the lever C will be pulled back to the position shown in Fig. 3, and the operation will be substantially the same as that already described, with the exception that rod '21, floating lever /L, rod 7;, and floating lever Z will be pushed toward the signals, and it is for this reason that n is an acute-angled crank-lever in order that it may exert a pushing action on rod 0 to operate the crank-lever cZ, which acts in the same direction as the similar lever (Z. It will be seen, therefore, that no matter in which direction the floating levers it and Z and the rod 7c are moved the signals will be moved in the same direction. By the arrangement of levers and connecting-rods described I am enabled to operate two two-position signals by two levers with connections between the levers and the signals, a part of such connections being common to both levers and both signals, and that such common part moves in one direction when actuated by the movement of one lever and in the opposite direction when actuated by the movement of the other lever in the same direction as the first, but that such opposite movements are transmitted to the signals to move them in the same direction.

IVhat I claim as my invention is l. The combination of two signals, two signal-operating levers, and connections between the signals and levers, a part of such connections being common to both levers and both signals and movable in opposite directions when actuated by the movement of the respective lever in the same direction to cause the signals to move in the same direction.

2. The combination of two signals, two signal-operating levers, a floating lever connected to both operating-levers, a second floating lever connected to the first-named floating lever by a single rod, an acute-angled cranklever connected to one end of the second floating lever, an obtuse-angled crank-lever connected to the other end of this lever, and connections between the crank-levers and the respective signals.

3. The combination of two signals, two bell-crank levers connected to the signals, said bell-crank levers acting in the same direction, two signal-operating levers, and connect-ions between the two operating-levers and the said bell-crank levers, part of said connections being common to both operating-levers and both bell-crank levers, and said common part moving in one direction when actuated by the movement of one operating-lever and in an opposite direction when actuated by the other operating-lever in the same direction as the first-named operating-lever, and said connections having means therein for transmitting said opposite movements of the common part of the connections to the said bell-crank levers to move the latter in one and the same direction.

4. The combination of two signals, two bell-crank levers connected to the signals and acting in the same direction, two signal-operating levers, two bell-crank levers connected to the operating-levers, said last-named bellcrank levers acting in opposite directions, a floating lever connected to both of the lastnamed bell-crank levers, a second floating lever connected to the first floating lever by a single rod, an acute-angled crank-lever connected to one end of the second floating lever, an obtuse-angled crank-lever connected to the other arm of the second floating lever, and a connection between the acute-angled lever and one of the first-named bell-crank levers, and a connection between the obtuse-angled lever and the other of the first-named bellcrank levers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribed witnesses.

FRANK P. J. PATENALL. Witnesses:

A. BREWER, Gno. M. Knm ERLY. 

